


The Firefly Child

by stammi_vicinora



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Afterlife, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Meiji Era setting, Obon, Themes of Dying/Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 06:18:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15768336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stammi_vicinora/pseuds/stammi_vicinora
Summary: A firefly’s light, in all its captivating beauty, only lasts during the summertime. The same thing could be said about Viktor’s love life, for he had fallen in love with a local boy, in a country that was miles from his own, in an era where Japan was still in the thick of rebuilding itself. In the fireflies’ glow, there were stolen kisses and sweet promises, but as the fireflies die at the end of the season, so did their time together. His beloved Yuuri would always be there upon his return the following year, waiting for him by his lake of fireflies.Always waiting…This summer would be Viktor’s last visit to Hasetsu, as Viktor intended to tell Yuuri to finally move on and not wait for him anymore. In the midst of the dancing lightning bugs, Viktor had found love, and it was also there where he had lost it. Viktor was left with only their remains, the fireflies’ light snuffed out forever.A contribution piece for the first issue of "Shall We Read: A YOI Literary Magazine" with the theme "Light"





	The Firefly Child

**Author's Note:**

> **Please mind the tags!** This story has implied/referenced death of a main character and has themes regarding dying and the afterlife. It's only in passing and non-descriptive, safe for a T rating!
> 
> Hello! Please forgive me for not posting in so long! TLDR; I got super depressed with my writing and fell off the face of the earth. I found a good support system to back me up tho and have been writing! (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑ I've been more involved in fandom projects this year and I'm excited to share with you the fruits of my labour!! I'll post them here when I can and will update my other fics eventually orz I recently graduated ~~and signed up for another 3 years of hell fff~~ But I'm back! Tadaima! ٩(｡•ω•｡)و
> 
> As self-appointed Fluff Kween, this is not my usual style. When Litmag announced the theme, all I could picture was the opening scene of the story and after a couple of weeks trying to find other ideas, I still couldn't shake the image out of my head. The story really wrote itself. I am very proud of it and myself for trying something outside my comfort zone. I really fell in love with this setting ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ) and I hope you do too! Thank you so much to my betas and friends for looking this over and giving me the final push to share this with my lovely readers °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖°
> 
> If you'd like to support _Shall We Read_ : A YOI Literary Magazine and purchase previous issues or subscribe to the new ones, you can click [HERE](https://yoilitmag.itch.io) Also, do read what the other contributors posted in our collection! ~~I'll post my pilot piece once I feel ready orz~~
> 
> Without further ado, please enjoy The Firefly Child!
> 
> I'd like to dedicate this to the people that believed in my writing and supported me through my difficult times. I love you so much ♥♥♥

 

* * *

The Firefly Child 

* * *

A soft glow from above made him lift his head. The greenish-yellow speck came to rest at the point of his nose, making him go cross-eyed. It was a firefly, a creature blessed with its own luminescence. Its light flickered, once, twice, before it fell off his nose, and he scrambled to rescue it. In his cupped, dirt-covered hands, the firefly’s light went dim. He cradled his hand to his chest, his very soul begging for his companion to persevere and not abandon him in this dark forsaken world.

He staggered, reaching out blindly as he climbed to his feet. Without any light to guide him, he was lost, but anything was better than staying here, so he kept moving. The darkness was overwhelmingly eerie, and Man had always been afraid of the unknown. His only comfort right now was that he was not alone.

Every so often he would check on his little friend, opening his hands just enough to let a bit of its light to spill out, and each time he did, the uneasiness that had weighed on his heart was briefly lifted, until he had to close it again and walk on. After some time had passed, his hands started to radiate and he paused to look at them. The light was pulsing, reminiscent of a steady heartbeat, and he could feel the firefly’s wings beat against his palms. Thinking that it had recovered its strength, he decided to release it. The moment that he did, the firefly took flight and rushed forward without him.

“Wait!” he called out, “Wait for me!”

He broke into a run trying to chase the light, his breath wheezing, desperate to keep up with the firefly. Panic gripped him when he lost sight of it, whipping his head in every direction to catch any glimpse of it.

There was none.

He stood there, not knowing what to do next. Lost, alone and empty. He wrapped his arms around himself and resisted the urge to cry. That was when he felt a gust of wind from behind, followed by a swarm of beating wings. His eyes widened in surprise, his hair and clothes flapping as they whooshed past him.

The light that they carried was so bright and the darkness that was the world, lit up. He cracked a smile, watching the fireflies float all around him. They were not afraid; the curious little creatures perched on his palm and fingers when he drew his hand out, greeting him like he was an old friend.

“You came,” said a voice that made his heart leap straight to his throat.

Turning around, he was presented by a familiar scene: the clearing of a lake with fireflies dancing in the night. At the edge was the figure of a person in a yukata with their back turned to him, but he knew who it was. He took a hesitant step forward, his pulse loud in his ears. A twig snapped beneath his foot, startling some of the fireflies, and he eyed the figure cautiously, holding his breath. They did not seem bothered by his presence, content with watching the lake and enjoying the dance the fireflies were performing over the body of water.

“They’re beautiful, aren’t they, Viktor?” the figure questioned.

There was a tightness in his throat at being addressed by name, like he hadn’t really been Viktor in a really long time. He couldn’t bring himself to answer, his tongue bearing the weight of lead, but the figure wasn’t waiting for an answer.

“Will you stay?” they asked, looking over their shoulder.

Their question was not accusatory by any means, but the guilt he felt cut through him like a knife. It was not the question that had caught him off guard, but rather the way those auburn eyes brought so many emotions to the surface. Dear God, how he had longed to see him again.

His Yuuri…

“The summer is almost over. It’s about time for the fireflies to finish their dance. Do you remember what happens after, Viktor?” Yuuri turned around fully to reveal the front of his yukata, a gorgeous royal blue smattered with deep crimson.

“I...” Viktor had trouble getting his words out, eyes glued to the ugly red that had dyed the beauty of Yuuri’s yukata.

Viktor knew the answer.

“It’s time,” Yuuri sighed forlornly, lashes lowered.

The fireflies that had glittered like the stars around them became still and in a single beat, everything went completely silent. When Yuuri opened his eyes once more, the fireflies’ light grew brighter and the night was filled with their beating wings. Their blinding radiance made Viktor shield his eyes, but when they moved towards the lake, enveloping Yuuri in their light, Viktor started to run.

Not Yuuri! Please, not Yuuri!

“Yuuri!”

Yuuri merely smiled and opened his arms for Viktor as his body took on the fireflies’ glow. “You’ll come again next summer to watch them with me, won’t you Viktor?”

Yes, yes! He will, just, please…

“Please don’t go!” he begged once he managed to wrap his arms around Yuuri, but he could feel him disappearing underneath his touch. “Please!” The fireflies around them started to disperse, making their way towards the night sky, taking their light, and Yuuri with them.

Viktor sobbed as Yuuri’s person started to crumble, like dandelion seeds being blown by the wind. Desperate pleas fell from his lips, manic and jumbled, and he slid down to his knees when he no longer had a part of Yuuri to hold on to, his grip tight on what was left of the yukata, unwilling to let them take Yuuri away from him.

“Next summer,” Yuuri promised before the last of him disappeared, and the world went dark again, leaving Viktor with only himself.

Viktor woke up with a start. Disoriented, and with his heart still pounding loud in his ears, it took a moment for the chugging of the steam locomotive to register. Releasing a drawn-out sigh, he dug the heel of his palms into his eyes and rubbed at them.

Yet again, he was plagued by these nightmares, preventing him to get even a wink of rest ever since he stepped on the ship bound for Kobe. Maybe even before then, when he’d made the resolve to leave for Japan, undoubtedly trying to ward Viktor off from making such a foolish decision, warning him of the consequences and what he stood to permanently lose.

Slipping his fingers into the inner pocket of his jacket, Viktor procured a small object. Lifting it over his head, he rolled the golden band in between his fingers. It no longer gleamed in the sunlight, having lost its shine over the years through Viktor’s habit of playing with it. The old ring was a simple band of medium width, with no precious stones or any engraving to adorn it, and a size or two too small to fit any of his fingers. Nevertheless, it was the most precious treasure Viktor owned.

He brought the faded metal to his lips. It would all be over soon. It had been a long time coming and this would be his final journey.

Viktor needed to bring this to an end.

* * *

The sky had turned orange by the time he reached Hasetsu, and the moon was out when he arrived at the inn. Viktor did not spare any time in a change of clothes, he was out of his room once he’d set his belongings down.

As he made it down the hallway, he caught a whiff of something sweet and made a pause in front of one of the rooms. The sliding door was left open by a crack, enough for the sweet perfume to leak out and for him to take a peek inside. The innkeeper’s wife was there, Viktor recognised her from behind by her small stature and the happi coat she wore that was embossed with the inn’s family crest. Hiroko was a kind, warm woman who had a rather soft spot for Viktor, and Viktor likewise. She wasn’t there to welcome his arrival with her husband and Viktor contemplated on greeting her.

He hesitated, hand posed in pushing the door open. Viktor’s eyes flickered to the tendrils of smoke that rose to the ceiling. Perhaps later, he thought, and instead, slid the door close the rest of the way to give Hiroko some privacy. Viktor lingered by the now closed door, taking deep breaths to keep his composure, before turning on his heel. He’d taken no less than five steps before he came face to face with Mari, the innkeeper’s daughter.

“Paid your respects?” she asked, nodding her head towards the room Hiroko was in.

Viktor ducked his head in apology. “Perhaps later,” he said, flashing her a customary smile.

Mari made no comments about how strained it was and they stood in silence, unsure of how to continue. “Viktor…” Mari shifted the tray she held from one hand to the other, almost as if she wanted to tell him something. “Thank you for your continued patronage,” she said instead, giving him a respectful bow and walked away.

Thinking little of it, Viktor navigated his way through the inn to the main entrance. As he slipped his shoes back on, Toshiya, the innkeeper, asked if he would join him at dinner – no doubt treating Viktor to his sake collection again – to which Viktor respectfully declined. “Perhaps another night,” he promised, giving him a hasty wave and backed his way out the door. He did not miss the look Toshiya gave him.

With the moon already high in the sky, Viktor broke into a run, straying from the dirt path to take a shortcut. Pushing his way through the last of the foliage, he finally arrived at the lake. The fireflies had already begun their performance, and Yuuri was there in the thick of it, swaying with them to a music only he could hear. He was just as breathtaking as the first time Viktor laid his eyes on him.

Taking full advantage of Yuuri’s unguarded state, Viktor silently crept towards him, and once he got close, embraced him from behind, causing a surprised gasp to fall from his beloved’s lips. “Hello beautiful,” Viktor husked into the shell of his ear.

“Viktor?!” Yuuri squeaked. “You gave me a fright!” he admonished before sighing in relief, sagging against Viktor, but then his lips twisted into a small scowl, his refined eyebrows knitted. “You’re _late_ ,” he clucked his tongue.

Viktor gave a low chuckle, pressing an apologetic kiss to Yuuri’s raven locks. “Forgive me, my love. I have kept you waiting, haven’t I?”

Yuuri hummed, turning himself around in Viktor’s arms. “Not that it matters anymore. I have you now,” he said, circling his arms around Viktor’s neck.

“You do,” Viktor confirmed, drawing Yuuri closer. “For one more summer, I am at your disposal.” His heart ached at how true those words rang, but until the sun sets on the last day of summer, Viktor would hold on to Yuuri.

“You owe me a dance,” Yuuri demanded softly, twirling the soft tendrils at Viktor’s nape around his finger.

“Oh darling, I’ll give you the world,” Viktor whispered reverently.

“That’s nice,” Yuuri murmured with a coy smile and lent in, their mouths a mere hairbreadth’s away. “But all I want is you,” he affirmed huskily, making Viktor shiver, and added with a smirk, “and that dance, of course.”

“Of course,” Viktor echoed dumbly, resisting the urge to chase after those teasingly plush lips when Yuuri pulled back. Positioning a hand on the other man’s waist, Viktor led Yuuri into a waltz, joining in on the fireflies’ ball.

Their summer was filled with dances, a meld between European footwork and Yuuri’s traditional grace. They took long walks at the beach and partook in summer festivities. Each day was filled with Yuuri’s beautiful laughter and Viktor permitted himself to indulge in this bliss, to forget about his motives and just be happy.

Then, the sun on the last day of summer disappeared beneath the horizon.

* * *

Yuuri slid his hand away from his as they approached the clearing and Viktor’s automatic response was to chase after it, but Yuuri, too fascinated by the glowing insects, had dashed ahead before Viktor could even extend his hand out. His laugh tinkled like the windchimes that lined the streets in summer as he twirled along to dance with the fireflies.

Squatting next to Yuuri by the grass, Viktor watched him interact with the fireflies. He was enamoured by the childlike happiness Yuuri displayed as he played with them. He committed them all to memory: the way Yuuri’s face would scrunch up when he got tickled by the fireflies when they crawled all over his hands and fingers, the enthusiastic laughter he gave off when he chased after them, trying to encase the insects in between his hands, and the absolute delight on his face when he released them all in an explosion of light. Yuuri’s bouts of happiness were infectious, and Viktor laughed and smiled alongside him.

Tonight, he would savour Yuuri for as long as he could.

They noticed one firefly sitting on a blade of grass, its light much dimmer than the others and starting to flicker. There was a shift in the air, and everything went still now that it was no longer filled with Yuuri’s laughter. The fact that Yuuri was oddly fixated on that one firefly for quite some time now was beginning to worry him, and Viktor desperately wanted to know what was running through Yuuri’s mind.

The poor thing was weakened, having trouble keeping its light aglow. It flickered like a dying pulse, the slow rekindling akin to shallow gasps of breath, desperate to cling to an unravelling thread. Viktor tore his eyes away from it, a chill running up his spine, and he rubbed his arms trying to shake the ominous feeling away.

Yuuri, on the other hand, seemed fascinated with it and reached out to prod the insect with his finger. Before he could even touch it though, its light extinguished and the firefly lost its grip on the grass blade, dangling from it for an extra second; before plummeting to the earth.

“Ah, kiechatta,” Yuuri murmured apathetically; all the joy and childishness he’d carried before seemed to have been snuffed out along with the firefly’s light.

“Yuuri?” Viktor called out worriedly when he stood up suddenly.

“The end of summer is here, and soon their dance will end too,” Yuuri murmured, walking away from him and towards the river’s edge. “They were beautiful while they lasted, weren’t they? But I guess beauty doesn’t last forever…” Yuuri sighed and looked over his shoulder at Viktor.

Were it any other occasion, Viktor would be lightning quick to say something smooth given such an opportunity, but there was something off about Yuuri tonight that gnawed at Viktor.

“You’re letting me go.” Yuuri did not phrase that as a question. Viktor saw the angry tears before Yuuri could turn his head and hide them. “Tonight… will be the last I see of you, won’t it?” he accused hotly, the words stabbing Viktor in the heart. “I saw it in your eyes, in the way you chose your words, in how you held me… There was a finality.”

Viktor closed his eyes. “This can’t go on forever, Yuuri,” he tried to plead, tried to hold on to his conviction, even as their surroundings were filled with Yuuri’s sobs.

“If you…” Yuuri hiccupped, “If you decide to visit again next summer. I’ll always be waiting for you here.”

At those words, something in Viktor snapped. “No!” he yelled, storming towards Yuuri, scaring the fireflies away. “No more waiting! You can’t wait for me anymore, Yuuri!”

Yuuri, slighted at being on the receiving end of Viktor’s temper, retorted, “Why the hell not?!”

In his anger, Viktor snatched Yuuri’s wrist. Forcing his fingers open, he practically shoved the ring onto his palm. “You don’t belong here!” he roared, his breath coming out in harsh pants. “You remember, don’t you?”

Yuuri closed his fist around the ring. “Of course, I remember,” he whispered sadly, another tear skidding down the curve of his cheek, but then he squared his shoulders, facing Viktor head on. “So, what? You think you can give this back to me and you’ll rid yourself of your past? Why play this charade for so long if I meant nothing to you?” he jeered.

“Don’t you dare make a mockery of my love for you!” Viktor seethed. “I had to live without you, Yuuri. For _seven_ years! For seven years, I thought this could work out, that I could be selfish and keep you, but Yuuri…” His anger dissipated, only to be replaced by grief upon looking at Yuuri’s trembling form. “You’re hurting, aren’t you? Staying here? Soon, you’ll be earthbound and won’t be able to cross over.”

Yuuri’s laugh was dry and cynical. “Earthbound? Cross over?” he scoffed, “What books have you been reading?”

Ignoring the jabs Yuuri threw, Viktor grabbed hold of Yuuri’s wrists. “Your light is dying, Yuuri…” he remarked, taking Yuuri by surprise. His beloved refused to listen, struggling to release himself from Viktor’s hold, but to their horror, red suddenly bloomed from Yuuri’s chest and continued to spread across the yukata. The illusion now broken, Viktor was forced to relive the memory of his loss seven years ago. “Soon there’ll be nothing left of you,” he rasped.

Stubbornly, Yuuri shook his head. “You don’t know that! Even… Even if that’s true I can’t –”

“I won’t risk having you disappear forever,” Viktor cut him off, cradling Yuuri’s cheek. “Solnyshko, I’ve agonised about this for a very long time. I don’t want to part with you either but… I’d rather you wait for me from the other side.”

Yuuri tried to blink his tears away. “But I love you…” he said quietly, trying to persuade Viktor nothing was wrong with what they have now.

Viktor pressed their foreheads together and looked straight into Yuuri’s beautiful eyes. “I love you too, zolotse. So much…” he declared, his thumbs swiping at the tears that threatened to fall. “You can’t survive like this, my love. I lost you once and I can’t bear the thought of having you lost to me forever. Give us a chance to properly be reunited. Please darling…”

“Without me, there is nothing to bind you here in Hasetsu,” Yuuri argued weakly. “You’ll forget me and won’t come back.”

Viktor choked out a wet laugh, rubbing their noses together. “Have I done something for you to have such little faith in me, zolotse?” he questioned, brushing Yuuri’s fringe back so he may kiss his forehead. “It’s because of you I’ll be staying here. I wish to be closer even when you’re gone.”

For a moment, fondness crossed over Yuuri’s features before he was gripped by fear. “What if I can’t come back?” Yuuri asked, eyes wide.

The possibility of that happening was more likely than not, but Viktor had prepared himself for the consequences. He needed to be strong in front of Yuuri if he were to convince him to leave the mortal plane. “Then I’ll meet you on the other side,” he promised soothingly, rubbing Yuuri’s cheeks.

The fireflies weaved through the air around them once more, catching their attention. They all gathered around Yuuri, hovering close, waiting. “They’re ready to guide you, solnyshko,” Viktor noted sadly, drawing Yuuri into a final embrace. He held him dearly, whispering sweet words of comfort, even as their tears trickled.

It was Yuuri who initiated it, pushing himself on tiptoes to reach Viktor’s lips when his body started glowing. Their lips met again and again, wishing it was not their last kiss. “I’ll be waiting, however long it takes,” he spoke against Viktor’s lips, not wanting to part. Much like how his dream had predicted, Yuuri gradually disintegrated, carried off by the wind.

“I’ll always be waiting for you,” Yuuri reminded him, and then he was gone, along with his fireflies.

Viktor’s world had turned dark once more. He released a shaky breath and recited the words he should have said seven years ago, “Dasvidaniya, my Yuuri…” Picking up the old ring on the ground, Viktor set back to the inn.

* * *

Lighting a stick of incense on a candle, Viktor used its embers to burn the other two, their sweet scent filling the room. “I will join you soon, solnyshko,” he promised, kissing Yuuri’s ring lovingly and placed it on his altar. Yuuri smiled softly back at him from the picture frame.

Oh, how wrong those words were. While so many struggled to even reach 50, Viktor, against all odds, had lived on past his 73rd birthday. Fate, ever the cruel mistress, was not satisfied that he and Yuuri were already separated by realms and had cursed him so their reunion would be delayed. Perhaps it was a punishment for his sins and the price took a toll on him. Viktor could not chance a permanent separation in purgatory if he went about it the easy way and took his life into his own hands, so he endured for many years, each day questioning if he’d made the right decision to send Yuuri away.

Till the end of his years, Viktor had spent his days working at the inn, taking permanent residency in the unused banquet hall on the second floor. The Katsukis had taken him as their own, his name added to their family registry. It was an unwarranted gesture, but as Hiroko pressed the piece of paper into his hands, she reminded him that if things had turned out differently, he would have joined the family nonetheless. He and Mari inherited the inn once their parents had passed, and eventually, Mari too would be outlived, leaving Viktor with her descendants.

Viktor was never really a religious man, but he’d made an effort each day to pray at every shrine and temple in Hasetsu, hoping his prayers and coin offerings would grant him his wish to see Yuuri. Obon was the time of year Viktor always looked forward to, where the spirits would visit and walk the human realm, a chance for him to meet up with Yuuri. The mornings were dedicated to cleaning the family grave, and at sunset Viktor would visit Yuuri’s lake, waiting for Yuuri to show.

Yuuri remained kept away from him.

He had been bound to the human world for so long, after all, so Viktor was unsurprised. Regardless, it was the time of year where he felt closest to Yuuri and the family that took him in. At the last day of Obon, Viktor like many others would send the spirits of their loved ones back to the afterlife through the lanterns they’d hang around the family grave. He took great pride in hand painting the Katsuki crest on them.

It may have been a trick of the light, but sometimes Viktor would catch a glimpse of the family lingering around the lanterns he’d set up. Never Yuuri though. Even as Viktor laid on his deathbed, it would seem Yuuri was never to step foot into the world of the living again.

But in his final breaths, Viktor saw from the corner of his eye a little firefly slipping into his room through the window. He managed to pull a weak smile, grateful to be in the company of a familiar face during his last moments. Viktor’s leadened eyes followed the patterns it made before it settled on the tip of his nose in a chaste kiss.

When his gasps grew reedy, Viktor knew it was finally time to leave. The firefly's light began to pulse, growing brighter till it had taken over the whole room, encompassing Viktor in it. As his eyelids lowered to a close, Viktor embraced death with a content smile and his final breath left him in one word.

“Tadaima…”

* * *

“Okaeri, Viktor.”

Viktor’s eyes snapped open.

“…Yuu…ri?”

Yuuri smiled fondly down at him as Viktor had his head on Yuuri’s lap. “You were talking in your sleep,” he chuckled and combed Viktor’s hair back with his fingers. “Did you have a good dream?” he asked, brushing the side of Viktor’s face with his knuckles lovingly.

A… dream?

Rolling over, Viktor got onto his knees and threw himself at Yuuri, nearly knocking him over.

“V-Viktor?!” Yuuri managed to keep them from toppling to the floor.

Viktor held him tight, clutching at the back of his shirt in desperation. He could feel it, Yuuri’s warmth seeping into his chilled veins. Yuuri’s scent surrounded him; Viktor took in lungfuls of it to quench the insecurities pricking across his skin. Most of all, Viktor heard it clearly. The thudding of Yuuri’s heart was loud and strong.

…alive.

This was _his_ Yuuri.

When it all came crashing in, he cried, none too quietly, burying his face into Yuuri’s chest.

Yuuri’s arms came to wrap around him, and he gathered Viktor into his lap. “Did you have a nightmare?” he questioned softly, patting Viktor’s back in a comforting motion. When Viktor gave him no answer, Yuuri rested his chin on the top of Viktor’s head. “No more late afternoon naps, okay?” he said, rocking Viktor gently in his lap till his sobs subsided.

Even as his cries died down to sniffles, Viktor’s head was still spinning as he tried to process the dream – a dream far too vivid to simply be something his mind had conjured. It was as if he had been there, too, in an older Hasetsu, living in an era that was not his own, when things were simpler, and fireflies along the waterways were a common sight.

The feelings that coursed through him, Viktor could not distinguish if they were his own or simply the remains of his imagination. He had no explanation as to why his heart was squeezed so painfully whenever his mind flashed back to what he’d seen. He tightened his embrace fearing his Yuuri too would disappear.

Yuuri nudged at his shoulders gently, making him whimper and bury his face deeper, but after much coaxing, Viktor finally lifted his head. Yuuri held his face in between his hands, Viktor leaned into the warmth of them as Yuuri gently wiped the rest of his tears away with his thumb.

“Go wash your face first and I’ll help dress you in your yukata,” Yuuri instructed, his voice soft and kind. “We should leave before the sun sets if we want a good spot.”

Viktor bit his bottom lip, still shaken. “But… where are we going?”

“Toronagashi,” Yuuri supplied in Japanese, before switching to their common language. “The send-off. Today is the last day of Obon,” he reminded him and swooped in to peck Viktor on the nose before getting to his feet, leaving Viktor to mull over the word.

Obon…

* * *

Viktor stared at the lantern in his hands. Received from the attendants as they stood in line, it was devoid of any crest, and instead decorated with the image of koi fishes, its structure a far cry to the one the other Viktor had painted the kamon on. The various kanjis that were written on it were not anything that Viktor recognised, but he understood them to be prayers and well wishes for a safe return. They would be casting the lantern down Hasetsu river come sundown, Yuuri instructed, which explained the different shape, but the gist was the same. Summoned by fire on the first day, the spirits were guided back to their own realm by the fire they lit on the last day.

When the sun disappeared, Yuuri lit the lantern’s candle, the riverside now bathed in an orange glow as everyone did the same, and Viktor had the honour of lowering it into the water. As it floated away, the two of them put their palms together and closed their eyes in prayer for Yuuri’s ancestors, ending it with a small bow.

“You took a while to open your eyes,” Yuuri remarked, as they watch their lantern drift over to join the others. “Did you have a message to send them?”

“Yes,” Viktor breathed, eyes trained on the backs of the two phantom figures riding the lantern they’d sent down. They were leaning against each other, a head dropped on one shoulder, while the other had an arm wrapped lovingly around their companion. The next time Viktor blinked, they’d dissipated. Turning his head towards Yuuri, he informed him, “I wished them happiness.”

Yuuri blinked up at him before his lips spread into a smile that warmed Viktor from the inside out. “You really do have a gentle soul, Viktor,” he commented, facing towards the water again where the lanterns had crowded together and formed a wall.

Once the lanterns flowed into the sea, the claws that had been digging into his shoulders since he woke up retracted, and Viktor was freed from the shackles his other self had burdened him with. Viktor breathed in deep, and released it as the wind picked up, letting it carry away the last straggles of disconcertment. Perhaps it was meant as a message, or he needed his story to be told. Either way, Viktor found the ending to be rather bittersweet. He tipped his head down in his final respects and made a solemn vow to honour them at next year’s Obon too.

“Let’s go home,” Yuuri decided after the lanterns had disappeared from view, slipping his hand into Viktor’s and giving it a soft tug.

_Home_ , his mind echoed, the word tugging at the corners of his mouth. Much like the other Viktor, Viktor had found himself calling Hasetsu home, he and Yuuri retreating to the sleepy seaside town whenever they could. Viktor could see himself and Yuuri settling down here, in a house just minutes away from the beach, or at the inn, whichever Yuuri decided. The location didn’t really matter, for Viktor knew he would always feel at home wherever Yuuri was. He snuck a glance at his beloved’s face, the mere sight of him turning Viktor into a dopey-eyed lovestruck fool.

“Oh look!” Yuuri gasped, his face lighting up as he pointed at something beyond the trees. Instead of releasing Viktor’s hand, Yuuri led him down the slope, hiking his yukata up over his knees.

Viktor followed suit, bunching the fabric in his other hand. “Yuuri, be careful!”

Yuuri merely laughed as he skidded down, his grip on Viktor’s hand firm. “Come on, we’re nearly there. I can hear it now.”

He could hear it too, the faint sound of water, and sure enough, they came across a lake. _The_ lake, and its glowing inhabitants.

Viktor’s heart lurched at the sight of Yuuri mesmerised by the lightning bugs, and he consciously tightened his fingers around Yuuri’s when the fireflies hovered closer to them, to Yuuri, as if attracted to him. “Hotaru,” he managed, eying them warily as they approached his Yuuri, sniffing him like curious dogs.

“That’s right,” Yuuri praised his accented Japanese, his words morphing into a giggle once a firefly decided to perch on his nose in greeting. “I used to collect them in summer as a child,” he disclosed, letting the insects run across his naked arm, “I find them hauntingly beautiful.”

“Oh?” Viktor prompted, suddenly finding it hard to swallow.

“It’s said they represent the spirits of the dead, their light leading other lost souls back to the other side. They die after summer, you know? Maybe because they too return once Obon is over. Those stories fascinate me, I guess?” Yuuri shrugged. “Their beauty doesn’t last beyond summer, it’s a shame, but at the same time, strangely romantic.”

In a heartbeat, Viktor had Yuuri in his embrace. Yuuri blinked curiously up at him, but Viktor merely plucked Yuuri’s glasses off his nose and pushed his hair back. “Their light holds no candle to yours, solnyshko moyo,” he said sweetly, tilting Yuuri’s chin up. “My world is so much brighter now that you’re here.” He sealed those words with a kiss, eyes fluttering closed once their lips met. He’d never spoken words that were any less true.

“Viktor,” Yuuri grumbled when they separated. “What you said didn’t make any sense,” he huffed his cheeks out in complaint.

“Oh? Didn’t it?” Viktor chuckled teasingly, cradling his world in his hands. It didn’t, but that wasn’t going to stop Viktor from complimenting his life and love. “Then allow me to remedy that,” he spoke against Yuuri’s lips before capturing them in another kiss.

The other Yuuri had been a child of the fireflies, a summer love that had gone too soon, for a firefly’s light, in all its captivating beauty, only lasted during the summertime. His darling Yuuri on the other hand, his solnyshko, was a star that shall continue to burn brightly for all eternity, an undying light to Viktor’s life and love.

**Author's Note:**

> *hands you all tissues* There there. Otsukaresama for making it till the end! I hope it left you with nice and fuzzy feelings! Obon just ended so I find it perfect to have been greenlighted to post this fic now! ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧ It really is one of my favourite holidays!
> 
> **Just a quick question** : Would you all be interested in reading a "full fic" of this? As this is a contribution piece for the litmag, I had a 5500 wordcount limit so a couple of scenes had ended up on the editing room floor. I was wondering if anyone would like to read more of Viktor and Yuuri's relationship in the past AU, like their first meeting and what really happened to Yuuri. I am quite attached to this story and would like to write more of it! I can post the scenes and put them in a series or really flesh out the story and post it as a multichap/oneshot. Please let me know in the comments!! ♥♥♥
> 
> Thank you so much for reading my story! I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave a kudos and/or comment if you enjoyed it! It'd be great as a confidence boost for my self-esteem haha Please look forward to my other stories as well! You can yell at/follow me on [TUMBLR](http://stammi-vicinora.tumblr.com) and now also [TWITTER](https://twitter.com/stammi_vicinora/)!
> 
> See you next level!


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